Christie visits the fens to conduct research for her employer’s book. She stays with her cousin Liz and partner Matt, retired cops now private investigators. The couple are investigating a woman’s disappearance and are then invited by the police to help with a murder enquiry. But Christie soon provides them with another case…
Marshlight is the fourth book in Joy Ellis’ Matt Ballard series but it can be easily read as a stand alone novel.
Matt and Liz have failed to locate their friend’s missing sister and now their latest case is a murder. However, this plot takes second place as the main plotline for this novel emerges: the majority of the first half of the book is dedicated to Christie and her developing friendships and antagonistic relationship with the locals. As a result of Christie’s interactions, she is involved when a woman goes missing.
Christie and the range of local characters provide a new dynamic as personal politics are established. Gina is a fabulous character that it perfect for us to love to hate and we share Christie’s suspicions about her behaviour. This is explored over the first half of the book to allow plot developments in the second half when the disappearance occurs and is investigated.
The setting of the Fens is vividly brought to life with Christie’s excursions to research the area for her employer’s book. The atmosphere created by the curious light phenomenon is unsettling and provides a great backdrop to the muliple plotlines.
Marshlight is an enjoyable mix of psychological and crime thriller. I have read and reviewed book 3 in this series, The Dying Light. Take a look at the blue links in the list at the end of this blog post for my reviews.
MARSHLIGHT (Matt Ballard #4)
A new psychological thriller from bestselling author and British Book Awards Crime & Thriller of the Year nominee Joy Ellis.
MATT AND LIZ MAY HAVE RETIRED FROM THE POLICE, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN A QUIET LIFE.
An old friend’s sister disappears without a trace. There’s no sign of foul play, but she’d been acting very peculiarly . . .
Meanwhile, Liz’s cousin Christie comes to stay. She takes an immediate — and uncharacteristic — dislike to the local bookshop owner, Gina. Why does everyone put up with her awful behaviour?
HUNTING WILL-O’-THE-WISPS ON THE MARSHES CAN BE A VERY DANGEROUS HOBBY.
Christie is convinced that Gina is manipulating everyone around her. Is she onto something dangerous or just pushing her new friends away?
No one believes her suspicions until another friend goes missing late at night on the misty Fen marshes.
Can Matt and Liz uncover the truth in time to save lives?
DISCOVER A TOTALLY ENTHRALLING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER
What readers are saying about JOY ELLIS:
“The suspense starts on page 1 and continues through the twists and turns until the very surprising ending.” Linda Strong
“OMG, this book was fantastic. I absolutely loved it. I was gripped from the first page, but as the tension and suspense mounted throughout the book it just got better and better. And that ending, well, just WOW!” Dawn
“I absolutely loved it.” Viv
“Will keep you guessing until the end of the book.” Barbara
“What a book!!!” Sian
“I was so engrossed I sat up way too late to finish it in one sitting.” Elaine
THE SETTING England’s rural fenland is a strange place, with its never-ending fields, winding tracks, and long straight droves (the old livestock routes) that lead to nowhere. The lonely lanes are flanked either side by deep drainage ditches and are, for a good part of the year, filled with tall, whispering reeds. Closer to the Wash, high seabanks form a barrier between river and marsh, and the richly fertile soil of the drained land. But when the mists come down, as they so often do, perspective is destroyed and all sense of direction lost, and then the fens become a rather frightening place of mystery and danger. Somewhere that you do not want to be at night.
JOY ELLIS
UK #1 BEST SELLER WITH THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS, DARKNESS ON THE FENS, THE FOURTH FRIEND, BEWARE THE PAST, FIRE ON THE FENS, AND THE GUILTY ONES
OVER 2 MILLION BOOKS SOLD!
“I was born in Kent but spent most of my working life in London and Surrey. I was an apprentice florist to Constance Spry Ltd, a prestigious Mayfair shop that throughout the sixties and seventies teemed with both royalty and ‘real’ celebrities. What an eye-opener for a working-class kid from the Garden of England! I swore then, probably whilst I was scrubbing the floor or making the tea, that I would have a shop of my own one day. It took until the early eighties, but I did it. Sadly the recession wiped us out, and I embarked on a series of weird and wonderful jobs; the last one being a bookshop manager. Surrounded by books all day, getting to order whatever you liked, and being paid for it! Oh bliss!
And now I live in a village in the Lincolnshire Fens with my partner, Jacqueline, a highly decorated retired police officer, and our four barking mad Springer spaniels. If I do get any spare time, which is rare these days, my one relaxation is painting, especially using soft pastels. We have been here for twenty years now and although I’ll never be a true ‘Yeller Belly’, a native born to this county, I have adopted it as my own. I love the mists, the big skies and the endless waterways. All my books are set here on the Fens, and why not? The location is perfect for murder!”
ALSO BY JOY ELLIS THE BESTSELLING NIKKI GALENA SERIES Book 1: CRIME ON THE FENS 2: SHADOW OVER THE FENS
3: HUNTED ON THE FENS 4: KILLER ON THE FENS 5: STALKER ON THE FENS 6: CAPTIVE ON THE FENS 7: BURIED ON THE FENS 8: THIEVES ON THE FENS 9: FIRE ON THE FENS 10: DARKNESS ON THE FENS 11: HIDDEN ON THE FENS
Urban explorers, also known as urbexers, have been disappearing whilst out exploring abandoned buildings. No noise, no sign of a struggle, they just disappear. Jackman and Evans begin the investigation into the missing men but then gruesomely displayed bodies are discovered and a murder case ensues. Meanwhile in the police headquarters, the head of IT, Orac disappears. Is this linked to her mysterious past and secret identity?
They Disappeared is the 7th book in Joy Ellis’ Jackman and Evans series. It would work as a stand alone novel but the relationships between the officers, their personal histories and the cases they have previously worked on are included.
There is a lot of build up to the crimes. We are introduced to the hobby of urban exploring as well as finding out more about Orac’s past. Bodies are not found until half way through the book and I did find the pace a little slow in the first half of the book. The descriptions are vivid and creates a fanstastic atmosphere of suspense. The abandoned sites build anticipation and dread, and the mystery of an old airfield is intriguing.
There is a naturalness to the characters which draws in the reader as we feel an affinity with them. I was a little disappointed that pathologist Rory didn’t shine as prominently as previous books. This time it was Orac who held centre stage as we discover more about her astonishing past, both personal and professional.
Overall, They Disappeared was an enjoyable police thriller, and it was good to catch up with Jackman and Evans and their team.
I have reviewed several of Joy’s books before (see the purple highlighted titles below)
THEY DISAPPEARED (Jackman & Evans #7) by Joy Ellis
FROM #1 BEST-SELLING AUTHOR JOY ELLIS, A TOTALLY ABSORBING CRIME THRILLER FULL OF STUNNING TWISTS AND TURNS.
Discover the author who’s sold over two million books globally.
Detectives Rowan Jackman and Marie Evans are told that their IT boss has disappeared. They soon suspect foul play. Orla Cracken, known as Orac, is no ordinary techie; she was once a field agent traveling abroad undercover, working for the government.
Meanwhile DC Robbie Melton discovers that two people, both urban explorers, have mysteriously disappeared while out exploring abandoned buildings. One went missing at a disused airfield, but was it a military base, or was it civilian?
The gruesome discovery of their decaying bodies found hanging in ancient church ruins bursts the case wide open, and Jackman and Evans are under pressure to find the killer.
It soon becomes clear that the murderer is targeting urban explorers, but why is he determined to track down and torture these innocent people, and how is the case connected to Orac’s mysterious past, still shrouded in secrecy?
THE LATEST CRIME THRILLER BY JOY ELLIS, SET IN THE LINCOLNSHIRE FENS, WILL KEEP YOU GUESSING — AND YOUR PULSE RACING— UNTIL THE VERY END.
What readers are saying about Joy Ellis
“Another breathtaking thriller from Joy.” Carole
“Great read from start to finish.” Nerys
“Just a wonderful enjoyable read.” Nicki
“A hugely compelling police procedural, with twists and turns that raise tension and suspense.” Paromjit
“All the twists and turns kept me reading.” Viv
“Another great book from Ms Ellis.” Barbara
Perfect for fans of Rachel Abbott, Sarah A. Denzil, Robert Bryndza, Mel Sherratt, Angela Marsons, Colin Dexter, or Ruth Rendell.
THE DETECTIVES
DI Jackman leads the investigation. He is extremely smart and has a knack for bringing out the best in his diverse team. DS Marie Evans is haunted by the loss of her husband in a motorbike accident. She is fiercely loyal to her friends and colleagues.
UK #1 BEST SELLER WITH THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS, DARKNESS ON THE FENS, THE FOURTH FRIEND, BEWARE THE PAST, FIRE ON THE FENS, AND THE GUILTY ONES
OVER 2 MILLION BOOKS SOLD!
“I was born in Kent but spent most of my working life in London and Surrey. I was an apprentice florist to Constance Spry Ltd, a prestigious Mayfair shop that throughout the sixties and seventies teemed with both royalty and ‘real’ celebrities. What an eye-opener for a working-class kid from the Garden of England! I swore then, probably whilst I was scrubbing the floor or making the tea, that I would have a shop of my own one day. It took until the early eighties, but I did it. Sadly the recession wiped us out, and I embarked on a series of weird and wonderful jobs; the last one being a bookshop manager. Surrounded by books all day, getting to order whatever you liked, and being paid for it! Oh bliss!
And now I live in a village in the Lincolnshire Fens with my partner, Jacqueline, a highly decorated retired police officer, and our four barking mad Springer spaniels. If I do get any spare time, which is rare these days, my one relaxation is painting, especially using soft pastels. We have been here for twenty years now and although I’ll never be a true ‘Yeller Belly’, a native born to this county, I have adopted it as my own. I love the mists, the big skies and the endless waterways. All my books are set here on the Fens, and why not? The location is perfect for murder!”
A woman being driven out of her home due to attacks on her property. A relationship on the rocks after a child’s death. A change in career direction for two retired police officers.
This is the first of Joy Ellis’ Matt Ballard series that I have read. I was expecting a police thriller but The Dying Light has multiple layers and is more of a psychological thriller due to its focus on the mental health and relationship breakdown of Matt’s friends Will and Kate.
Matt has retired along with his partner Liz and they are starting out on a private detective venture. They offer to help their neighbour Emilia whose garden has been trashed and offensive graffiti painted on her walls. Meanwhile, they also try to help Will deal with a difficult emotional period and the book has further grief in store for him.
The mental breakdown of Kate is uncomfortable to read yet feels very realistic. I wasn’t sure if the creepy and sinister events and setting were hinting at a supernatural element to the plot. The criminal element to the plot was quite subtle and the investigation took second place to the tense relationships and emotional concerns of the main characters. This made the tone of the narrative very different to the other books that I have read by Joy Ellis (highlighted in list below).
Wow, what an ending! The final pages had my heart breaking and my jaw dropping: completely unexpected but no spoilers from me!
The Dying Light is the third in the Matt Ballard series and I would like to catch up with the previous books to see him in action as a police officer.
THE DYING LIGHT a totally enthralling psychological thriller with a stunning ending (Detective Matt Ballard Book 3)
From multiple #1 best-selling author Joy Ellis, comes a psychological thriller that will have you glued from first page to last.
WHISPER FEN HOLDS DARK SECRETS
As the mists roll over the fens and enigmatic lights twinkle in the distance, only the locals know their way along the hidden paths through the mysterious watery terrain of one of England’s most beautiful and sometimes dangerous places.
Detective Matt Ballard may have retired but there’s still plenty going on the fens to keep him busy.
Someone trashes an old lady’s garden and daubs her isolated cottage with hateful graffiti. Emilia Swain seems to be totally harmless, so why is she being targeted?
Matt’s best friend Will and his wife Kate moved to Holland House to put their past behind them. But Kate’s mental state is deteriorating and she’s obsessed with the tragic history of the house and an old doll she finds in the garden.
And why is Kate suddenly friends with a loner who haunts the fens?
Has the dreadful past come back to haunt the present owners?
Former detectives Matt and Liz want to help their friends and neighbours. But how can you help people who don’t want to be helped?
DISCOVER A TOTALLY ENTHRALLING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER FROM JOY ELLIS
What readers are saying about JOY ELLIS
“The suspense starts on Page 1 and continues through the twists and turns until the very surprising ending.” Linda Strong
“OMG, this book was fantastic I absolutely loved it. I was gripped from the first page but as the tension and suspense mounted throughout the book it just got better and better and that ending, well just WOW!” Dawn Jones
“I absolutely loved it.” Viv
“Will keep you guessing until the end of the book.” Barbara
“What a book!!!” Sian
“I was so engrossed I sat up way too late to finish it in one sitting.” Elaine
The Setting
England’s rural fenland is a strange place, with its never-ending fields, winding tracks, and long straight droves (the old livestock routes) that lead to nowhere. The lonely lanes are flanked either side by deep drainage ditches and are, for a good part of the year, filled with tall, whispering reeds. Closer to the Wash, high seabanks form a barrier between river and marsh, and the richly fertile soil of the drained land. But when the mists come down, as they so often do, perspective is destroyed and all sense of direction lost, and then the fens become a rather frightening place of mystery and danger. Somewhere that you do not want to be at night.
ALSO BY JOY ELLIS
THE BEST-SELLING NIKKI GALENA SERIES
Book 1: CRIME ON THE FENS
Book 2: SHADOW OVER THE FENS
Book 3: HUNTED ON THE FENS
Book 4: KILLER ON THE FENS
Book 5: STALKER ON THE FENS
Book 6: CAPTIVE ON THE FENS
Book 7: BURIED ON THE FENS
Book 8: THIEVES ON THE FENS
Book 9: FIRE ON THE FENS
Book 10: DARKNESS ON THE FENS
DETECTIVE MATT BALLARD
Book 1: BEWARE THE PAST
Book 2: FIVE BLOODY HEARTS
Book 3: THE DYING LIGHT
JOY ELLIS
UK #1 BEST SELLER WITH THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS, DARKNESS ON THE FENS, THE FOURTH FRIEND, BEWARE THE PAST, FIRE ON THE FENS, AND THE GUILTY ONES
OVER 2 MILLION BOOKS SOLD!
“I was born in Kent but spent most of my working life in London and Surrey. I was an apprentice florist to Constance Spry Ltd, a prestigious Mayfair shop that throughout the sixties and seventies teemed with both royalty and ‘real’ celebrities. What an eye-opener for a working-class kid from the Garden of England! I swore then, probably whilst I was scrubbing the floor or making the tea, that I would have a shop of my own one day. It took until the early eighties, but I did it. Sadly the recession wiped us out, and I embarked on a series of weird and wonderful jobs; the last one being a bookshop manager. Surrounded by books all day, getting to order whatever you liked, and being paid for it! Oh bliss!
And now I live in a village in the Lincolnshire Fens with my partner, Jacqueline, a highly decorated retired police officer, and our four barking mad Springer spaniels. If I do get any spare time, which is rare these days, my one relaxation is painting, especially using soft pastels. We have been here for twenty years now and although I’ll never be a true ‘Yeller Belly’, a native born to this county, I have adopted it as my own. I love the mists, the big skies and the endless waterways. All my books are set here on the Fens, and why not? The location is perfect for murder!”
Jackman and Evans are still haunted by the murderer that got away, Alistair Ashcroft. Now he is back, taunting them again while they investigate a series of seemingly unrelated burglaries and a murder.
This is the 6th book in the Jackman and Evan series and the second that I have read (the first being book 5 The Stolen Boys). The Patient Man in the title describes Alistair as well as Jackman: both of them have waitied patiently for the conclusion of their battle of brains and strength of personality.
The police team are all brilliantly written, each with a personal life that feels believable so they appear to have greater depth than many book characters. Ashcroft’s determination to damage the team and his cruel distruction of Kevin Stoner is brutally good as the plot unfolds. Once again, pathologist Rory steals every scene he is in and the humour of his discussion about the perfect murder lends a moment of lightness to the book in contrast to the fast paced action that preceeds and follows it. The peripheral characters are also written to be realistic with human complexities.
I would love to see this series made for TV and Joy Ellis’ writing has the comfortable and confident style that would make it perfect for a Sunday night murder series. I don’t know about the origins of Ashcroft’s enmity with Jackman and Evans but it really doesn’t matter because The Patient Man works well as a stand alone novel despite the obvious continuation of the plotline (book 5 had a smattering of references to previous events too) but the focus is firmly on the current case and Ashcroft’s involvement.
Overall, The Patient Man was a great read and I would recommend all of Joy’s books as I love her Nikki Galena series too!
THE PATIENT MAN a gripping crime thriller full of stunning twists (JACKMAN & EVANS Book 6)
From #1 best-selling author Joy Ellis, a totally absorbing mystery full of stunning twists and turns. Discover the author who’s sold over two million books globally.
A MYSTERY WHICH WILL CAPTIVATE YOU FROM START TILL THE DRAMATIC ENDING
JACKMAN AND EVANS’ MOST DANGEROUS ENEMY IS BACK TO FINISH THINGS OFF
The domestic bliss of Detective Inspector Rowan Jackman of Fenland Constabulary doesn’t last long. His nemesis, serial killer Alistair Ashcroft, is back in town and ready to tidy up unfinished business.
Ashcroft sends a sinister text to DS Marie Evans. His opening move in what will prove to be a lethal game of cat-and-mouse. Yet for all his taunts, where is he? In a county crawling with police on the lookout for him, Ashcroft is nowhere to be found.
EVERYONE JACKMAN CARES ABOUT IS IN DANGER
Alongside the hunt for Ashcroft, normal police work must continue. The separate thefts of guns, six pigs, a thoroughbred stallion and some oil lead Jackman’s crew to the notorious Lorimer family, ruled over on their farm by the fearsome matriarch Rachel.
Meanwhile, a seemingly routine break-in at the home of gun-club owner Kenneth Harcourt quickly becomes more complicated when the man long held responsible for having killed Harcourt’s young daughter in a hit-and-run is shot dead in a carpark — by a sniper.
A killer is on the loose in the quiet streets of Saltern-le-Fen and he isn’t going to stop at claiming one life. But why is he focusing on young Kevin, so close to promotion to detective?
A LETHAL GAME WITH A VERY PATIENT MAN
And the sniper, like Ashcroft, takes to taunting the police: they’ll never catch him, they need to respect him, they shouldn’t be side-tracked looking for their old adversary.
In a stunning conclusion, Jackman and Evans race against time to catch the sniper and track down their deadly adversary.
Full of twists and turns, this is a crime thriller that will keep you turning the pages until the shocking ending. Set in the atmospheric Lincolnshire Fens whose towns and isolated villages hide many dark secrets.
CAN THEY FINALLY STOP ALISTAIR ASHCROFT?
What readers are saying about Joy Ellis
“Another breathtaking thriller from Joy.” Carole
“Great read from start to finish.” Nerys
“Just a wonderful enjoyable read.” Nicki
“A hugely compelling police procedural, with twists and turns that raise tension and suspense.” Paromjit
“All the twists and turns kept me reading.” Viv
“Another great book from Ms Ellis.” Barbara
Perfect for fans of Rachel Abbott, Sarah A. Denzil, Robert Bryndza, Mel Sherratt, Angela Marsons, Colin Dexter, or Ruth Rendell.
THE DETECTIVES
DI Jackman leads the investigation. He is extremely smart and has a knack for bringing out the best in his diverse team. DS Marie Evans is haunted by the loss of her husband in a motorbike accident. She is fiercely loyal to her friends and colleagues.
JOY ELLIS
UK #1 BEST SELLER WITH THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS, DARKNESS ON THE FENS, THE FOURTH FRIEND, BEWARE THE PAST, FIRE ON THE FENS, AND THE GUILTY ONES
OVER 2 MILLION BOOKS SOLD!
“I was born in Kent but spent most of my working life in London and Surrey. I was an apprentice florist to Constance Spry Ltd, a prestigious Mayfair shop that throughout the sixties and seventies teemed with both royalty and ‘real’ celebrities. What an eye-opener for a working-class kid from the Garden of England! I swore then, probably whilst I was scrubbing the floor or making the tea, that I would have a shop of my own one day. It took until the early eighties, but I did it. Sadly the recession wiped us out, and I embarked on a series of weird and wonderful jobs; the last one being a bookshop manager. Surrounded by books all day, getting to order whatever you liked, and being paid for it! Oh bliss!
And now I live in a village in the Lincolnshire Fens with my partner, Jacqueline, a highly decorated retired police officer, and our four barking mad Springer spaniels. If I do get any spare time, which is rare these days, my one relaxation is painting, especially using soft pastels. We have been here for twenty years now and although I’ll never be a true ‘Yeller Belly’, a native born to this county, I have adopted it as my own. I love the mists, the big skies and the endless waterways. All my books are set here on the Fens, and why not? The location is perfect for murder!”
Family: lots of wider family events including a christening for my cousin’s son, and my niece and nephew stayed over for 2 nights during half term. We had a family photo shoot with Mum and Dad and all their grandchildren which was lovely (here are my three looking almost angelic)
Work: completely unexpectedly, I now have 7 jobs! The school where I invigilate exams needed a temporary food technician so I have been enjoying a new experience! Two days after that, one of the schools where I clerk asked me to do some admin office work as I did for them last summer. Busy, busy me!
Days out: oh dear. Apart from the trip to Fleet for the photos and to Chinnor for the christening, we haven’t really been anywhere 🙁 Our weekends have been spent catching up with chores and doing the kids’ homework!
Books: I managed to equal last month’s total! Click on any of the book covers to read my review:
Food: no experiments or new recipes (except for my winter veg soup which I actually made before Christmas) but I have made my chickpea dhal again as I was craving it.
